Scions of Iron
This article or article section is based on information from ''Fanatic Magazine or its predecessors (i.e. Citadel Journal, Necromunda Magazine, etc.). As the included articles and information are often created by readers, they may be in contradiction to the official background.'' The Scions of Iron is a Codex Astartes-divergent Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. It is known for its reverence for the Machine Spirits of its vehicles and equipment. As such, the Scions maintain a higher quality of wargear than the standard Space Marine Chapter. Like the Aurora Chapter, the Scions of Iron also have a preference for armoured assaults and possess a sizeable Chapter Armoury. Chapter History Little is known about this obscure Chapter's origins or when exactly it was raised. However, Imperial savants have taken note of the Scions of Iron's diversion from the tenants of the Codex Astartes. This most sacred of Space Marine doctrines is a massive tome that describes the organisation, tactical operation, and countless other aspects of Space Marine life. Subjects as diverse as religious instruction and strategic supply are all covered in great detail within its thousands of pages. The Codex Astartes amounts to an authoritative guide to waging war in any number of ways on countless different types of world. The majority of Space Marine Chapters follow its teachings as if they were holy writ. The Scions of Iron are an exception to that majority. Due to an Ork invasion that struck when the Chapter's fortress-monastery was being built, the Scions of Iron were forced to fight with very few transports and little armour support. The losses incurred caused the Chapter to diverge from the Codex Astartes and create its own way of forming battle groups. At present the Scions of Iron excel in the use of armoured formations and are never without transports in almost any situation. Most of the Chapter's battle formations are based on vehicles and only in very rare situations do the Scions of Iron act as an unmechanised infantry force. Chapter Organisation The Scions of Iron Chapter organisation is based on the Codex Astartes, but it has been changed to suit the reliance on the use of armoured vehicles preferred by the Chapter. It consists of the same 10 companies that the Codex decrees. It also maintains a 1st Company for Veterans and a 10th Company for Scout Marines. There are four Battle Companies (from 2nd to 5th) and four Reserve Companies (from 6th to 9th). The main differences from Codex-compliant Chapter organisation is found within the companies. The 1st Company is very similar to any other Codex-compliant Veteran company. However the Veterans of the Scions of Iron, both Terminator-armoured and those in standard Power Armour, use Land Raiders as transport. Thus the 1st Company has no Rhinos available to it. The second difference lies in the presence of Techmarines to maintain these vehicles. The Chapter's 10th Company is its Scout Company. In most ways it is almost identical to the Codex-compliant Scout Company of other Chapters with the exception of the inclusion of a Techmarine. However, the Scions of Iron's Scout Company also possesses more Scout bikers than normal, due to the fact that all of the Chapter's Scouts are next assigned to combat roles as Assault Marines and need to learn how to use bikes. Battle Companies A Battle Company of the Chapter has a larger number of Astartes than the Codex decrees. Most of the Space Marines are part of Tactical Squads. Devastators are drivers for the vehicles that the company uses from its armoury. The last group is comprised of Assault Marines mounted on bikes. The Battle Company is a bit larger than a Codex company at the expense of the Chapter's support companies. Each Battle Company also has its own Techmarines in addition to those that tend to the Armoury of the Chapter. This is because in any deployment there is always a larger number of vehicles than for a standard Chapter. A fully deployed Battle Company deploys 8 vehicles which can be Predators, Vindicators or Land Raiders crewed by the company's Devastators. All of the company's Rhino transports are taken from the centralised Chapter Armoury when deployed. Reserve Companies The 6th and 7th Companies are Armour Support Companies. These consist only of armoured units and have no infantry of any kind. It is very rare that such a support company might fight without the additional presence of a single Battle Company. As these companies maintain many more vehicles than standard Astartes Reserve Companies, there are also more Techmarines present. The 7th Company has Predators, while the 8th possesses Vindicators and Land Raiders. The 8th Company is an Assault Support Company as decreed in the Codex. For the Scions of Iron that means that the units are all mounted. However, unlike standard Battle Companies which also have bikes the 9th Company maintains its own complement of Attack Bikes and Land Speeders to give the bike units extra firepower. There is one Techmarine maintaining all the vehicles of this company. The 9th Company is a Custodian Company. Custodians are Space Marines whose duty is to crew the vehicles of the Chapter Armoury. There is no definite size for the company, but it usually stands between 50 and 100 Astartes. Custodian Company Astartes are never deployed without vehicles. The Chapter's Armoury has its own set of vehicles which are for the use of the companies. It maintains Predators, Vindicators and Land Raiders to support both the Veteran and Battle Companies when in need. Also a second set of those vehicles reside in the 6th and 7th Companies. They handle the rest of the Chapter's support vehicles such as Whirlwinds, Land Speeders and the Land Raider variants, as well as Rhinos and Razorbacks. The Armoury also maintains all the various spacecraft of the Chapter. Order of Battle Chapter Armour and Air Support Assets *'Land Raider Helios' - The Land Raider Helios was first developed by the Red Scorpions Chapter. During the Siege of Helios the Red Scorpions found that they lacked artillery and consulted their Techmarines for help. They developed the Helios Pattern Land Raider as a result. After the Siege the Helios received its place in the Red Scorpions armoury and has been replicated by other Chapters as well. The Scions of Iron have always sought to build new patterns of vehicles for themselves. The Helios found its place in the Chapter because of its unusual dual role. It can take the place of Whirlwinds when the situation would be dangerous to deploy them. They can also be used in close-range support using the multi-launcher as a direct fire weapon supported by the Lascannons. *'Land Raider Prometheus' - Rare amongst even the oldest of Chapters the origins of the Land Raider Prometheus are unknown. None have been sighted in Traitor hands so it is possible they were discovered after the Heresy, or perhaps simply the maintenance of such sacred vehicles is beyond the twisted workings of a Traitor's mind. Theorised to be created by the Salamanders, due to the number found within the Chapter, they do not have a monopoly on its use. The Scions of Iron produce large numbers of these vehicles to serve as forward command posts for its commanders. In almost all campaigns conducted by the Scions a Prometheus is deployed to lead the offensive. *'Thunderhawk (Saturation Bombing Configuration)' - While most Chapters use the Thunderhawk gunship as a primary air transport the Scions of Iron do not. Since the standard Thunderhawk is not able to carry vehicles it is viewed as as inferior transport. However the Scions of Iron do deploy the Thunderhawk in a ground attack role. The aircraft's saturation bombing configuration is designed to bring additional firepower to bear against masses of enemy infantry. Its wings are laden with bombs that provide maximal damage against unprotected infantry and a Thunderhawk can carry a fearsome amount of them. The effects of this aircraft has been noted as exceptional against Orks in the wide open deserts of Armageddon. *'Thunderhawk (Close Air Support Configuration)' - The Thunderhawk's close air support configuration is deployed against enemy armour. The Thunderhawk Cannon is replaced with a Turbo-Laser Destructor and its bombs swapped out for Hellstrike Missiles to provide more firepower. This makes the Close Air Support configuration ideal for hunting enemy vehicles. *'Thunderhawk Transporter' - The Thunderhawk Transporter is the main workhorse of any Chapter. They are used to ferry Astartes armour and other support equipment from the orbiting starships down to a planet's surface. Normally they are not deployed to contested landing zones as they lack heavy weaponry. But the Scions of Iron cannot afford to use the Transporter only as a glorified orbital ferry. As they lack the standard Thunderhawk's drop capability the Transporter often deploy with the Thunderhawk gunships and other landing craft. When the Scions of Iron drop into a contested landing zone, there are usually several formations of Transporters in addition to the gunships to seize the landing zone and unleash the heavy armour of the Chapter into the fray. Chapter Beliefs Similar to such Chapters as the stoic Iron Hands and the Sons of Medusa, the Scions of Iron display an unusual reverence towards the machine, regarding Machine Spirits as brothers-in-spirit. The Chapter's rituals for machine repair and maintenance are more complex. But as a result of this extra attention, the quality of wargear and vehicles used by the Chapter is noticeably higher than among other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. In the Scions of Iron, a Machine Spirit is revered with the zeal that other Chapters might reserve for their founding Primarch. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Scions of Iron's Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records. Chapter Badge The Scions of Iron's Chapter badge is a large white skull, cut in half, with the left side (facing the viewer) being contained within a cog icon, reminiscent of the Cog Mechanicum. This symbolises the Chapter's esoteric beliefs in the sacredness of Machine Spirits and its deep, spiritual connection to the machine. Sources *[http://www.specialist-arms.com/fanatic/95aasoi.pdf Fanatic 95, "Epic Armageddon: Adeptus Astartes - Scions of Iron: (Rules) Marine Armoured Force"] Category:S Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Unknown Founding